Hope--#5

 

1Peter 1:3- 5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I've discovered that hope is a reoccurring theme throughout the Bible and especially in the Epistles. The hope we have in Christ is active and alive. It's not a dead hope. It's a "lively hope". Christ rose from the dead to give us hope beyond the grave. For those of us who have been saved by the grace and mercy of God, this is what keeps us going. God has promised us an inheritance that will not be lost to corruption. In fact, it's in heaven now, reserved just for us.

Another thing that makes this hope a living hope is the fact that it is God's power that keeps us through faith unto salvation. Ephesians 2:8- 9 says, " For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast." It's the grace of God through faith that saves us and it's the power of God that keeps us saved, not our own works. All of this is a gift from God. I am so thankful that it's not my own good works that saves me or keeps me saved because if it was I would be in a world of hurt. Isaiah 64:6 tells us, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." And then in Romans 3:23 it says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" My own righteous works are like filthy rags beside the holiness of God. There is no way I can even come close to doing enough to make myself worthy of His salvation because even my best works are tainted with sin. So, in light of this fact, that makes the hope I have in Christ a very "lively hope" because without God's gift of grace, faith and keeping power, I would be dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;"

How about you? What is your hope? Is it living or dead? Do you have the hope (certainty) of sins forgiven and a home in heaven? If not, I pray that God will bless you with the gift of faith in His dear Son so that you too can have this "lively hope".

Dear Father, I am amazed at Your love for a sinner like me. I praise You for the hope that You have given me. Help me to walk in that hope even when circumstances are difficult. Amen.